Class Details
3 Hours
4th Grade to Adult
moderate
How do outdoor skills and teamwork help in a winter survival situation?
Students will use the winter woods as a classroom as they participate in a small group survival situation. During the first 45 minutes indoors, students will participate in a simulated bus crash, make a list of the seven body needs for survival, and learn about hypothermia. Two hours will be spent on a survival activity in the Sawmill Creek Valley. Using limited resources, each group will construct a shelter, make a fire, boil water and make a hot beverage. As the instructor makes rounds from group to group, team-building skills and a positive attitude will be stressed. Students will relate this experience to small group performances in everyday life and the benefit of positive group interaction to the environment.
Concepts
- The essence of human survival is maintaining internal body temperature, which is accomplished by meeting 7 basic
- needs: oxygen, shelter, warmth, water, rest, food, and a positive mental attitude.
- Outdoor survival skills, such as shelter and fire building, follow basic scientific principles and good judgement.
- Successful survival requires creative thinking, growth-oriented mindsets, constant experimentation, and effective communication and teamwork.
- Lessons learned from challenging experiences can be applied to future experiences.
Outcomes
- List the 7 basic needs for human survival and the causes and effects of hypothermia.
- Collaborate with a team to build a survival shelter, maintain a fire, and possibly melt snow for water.
- Practice and recognize the physical, mental, and interpersonal skills required for successful outdoor survival.
- Identify how meeting challenges in outdoor survival can apply to teamwork and other challenges encountered in future situations.